Nor Iron Bars a Cage
by Jen Rock
Summary: Mystique's thoughts on the Brotherhood and her situation, preCauldron


Nor Iron Bars a Cage  
  
Rating: PG  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing. All characters belong to Marvel. I'm just a fan and not making any money off of this so don't sue, please.  
  
Summary: Mystique's thoughts on the Brotherhood and her situation. Based on the "Shadowed Past," episode  
of "X-Men: Evolution."  
  
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How far the mighty have fallen. There was a time, before Magneto and his grand plans for a brotherhood of mutants, when I was happy. When it was just Irene and myself and I had control over my own life. That seems like so long ago now. So much has come between that idyllic life and the one I'm living now-Magneto's plan, Kurt's birth and loss, Rogue's defection. Sometimes I wonder if Irene saw all of this and didn't dare tell me, not wanting to spoil our happiness. Or maybe she tried to prevent much of it and I was too stubborn to listen. She did have misgivings about my involvement with Magneto but she never told me of any concrete reasons not to aid him.   
  
He came around at just the right time in my life when my anger at being treated like a freak had boiled over after seeing one more news story about a mutant being attacked simply for being different. I was ready to take more direct action beyond the subtle acts of sabotage against hate groups. It was satisfying to see some anti-mutant group disbanded after I'd infiltrated them and planted evidence that their leader was embezzling money from them but it wasn't enough.   
  
No matter how much I did, or what shape I took, I knew I was still a freak inside. The same people who were so polite and courteous to the beautiful Raven Darkholme would have run screaming, or attacked, or called the police if I'd walked through the door as Mystique in all my blue-skinned glory. Sometimes, when I'm sitting there listening to some parent argue about why their precious little angel shouldn't be suspended for knocking some smaller and less perfect child to the ground, I try to imagine how they'd react if I suddenly revealed my true form to them. It's tempting but I have too much invested in this identity to risk it.  
  
When I agreed to help Magneto in his crusade, I'd had visions of great acts that would inspire other mutants to rise up against their oppressors and join us in ruling this world as was our destiny as evolved beings. Magneto took it slow at first and I understood. He wanted to gather followers carefully to avoid detection, either by any world government or by the so-called superheroes-the Avengers,the Fantastic Four, etc- who would have tried to stop him. What did they know about being treated like a freak? Most of them weren't even mutants, as far as anyone knew. They were token superbeings, held up as examples of what the rest of us could do if we'd just toe the line and allow the government to control us and our powers. Taking it slow was acceptable at first but Magneto was having trouble finding powerful-enough mutants who were  
interested in joining a Brotherhood of Mutants. Some preferred to lie low and some were mercenaries, only interested in selling their abilities to any government that wanted them and could afford to pay their price. Sabretooth was the only one who stayed permanently and he was an unstable killer. Magneto's patience wore thin.  
  
My fling with Kurt's father was short-lived. I did care about him but when I found out I was pregnant I knew I had to leave. The trauma of birth might reveal my secret to him and I couldn't afford to be found out. I'd been out of contact with Magneto for nearly a year. He could have summoned me at any time but he'd been working on a new idea to further the cause and I'd been able to pursue my own interests for awhile.  
I don't know how he found out about the pregnancy but he showed up shortly before the fourth-month and congratulated me. He brought me back to a castle in Germany he'd been staying in while he worked on his idea. I suppose I should have been suspicious of the strange place but Magneto assured me it helped keep the nearby superstitious villagers from coming near. The pack of wolves probably helped in that regard as well.   
  
My pregnancy passed in the normal way. Magneto monitored my condition throughout the six months before Kurt's birth. He'd already determined my son was a mutant and I attributed his interest to a desire to protect another mutant. If only I'd known the true reason for his attention...I try not to think about what happened or nearly happened in the castle after Kurt was born. I turned my back on Magneto and made my way back to my own home. Irene comforted me every time I woke from nightmares screaming and crying for my lost son. Even knowing he'd survived and been taken in by others evidently unconcerned by his inhuman features didn't help. I didn't try to take him back. I wasn't fit to be his mother after what I'd put him through. Better he should live a quiet life in a remote village in Germany where he would never be teased or treated differently than to expose him to the sort of people I dealt with all the time.  
  
Magneto left me alone for nearly two years although I know he kept track of my comings and goings. Perhaps he thought,given time I'd accept my loss and his actions that day as necessary. Kurt's loss had receded to a dull ache and I rarely woke up with nightmares anymore but I was not ready to forgive. I still blamed him for lying to me. When he finally showed up again he knew just what to say to make me change my mind. My son was safe now but eventually he'd want to leave the little village and he'd be found out. People would try to kill him and he wouldn't be able to hide his appearance as well as I could. I didn't know about his powers then or the future invention of the holographic  
technology that allowed him to appear normal to the other Bayville students. I just knew he looked different and that was enough to put him in danger from all the bigots out there. Unless, of course, Magneto's vision of a world dominated by mutants could be brought to fruition.  
  
  
So I went back to Magneto. I couldn't stand by when there was something I could do that would help make the world safer for my son, myself and those like us. Magneto represented our best hope for survival. I hated him but I needed him. He took me back but I was no longer his trusted right-hand. He didn't need me as much as I needed him. He'd established a connection of mutants to help him with his plans. We established  
my identity as principle of Bayville High with forged credentials. I hated it-looking at all of those perfect, "normal" children every day-but I did my best to adjust. I implemented a mandatory class on diversity and accepting other's differences that became a model for other schools across the country. I set a strict anti-bullying code of conduct and made sure it was followed as much as possible. I did everything I could to ensure that none of these children would grow up to be the kind of person who could beat someone to   
death because of the color of his skin or the number of arms he had.  
  
Everything I did was done with my son in mind. Every time I thought I couldn't take another day of living among humans, I'd think of him. He's always an infant in my mind as he was the last time I saw him with the same soft, blue fur and bright, yellow eyes and elfin ears. The thought of him strengthened my resolve and I pressed on.  
  
Then Magneto got an idea. Ironically, it was inspired by his old friend and current enemy, Professor Charles Xavier. Xavier had established a private school for "gifted" children just outside of town in his boyhood home. One of my duties, besides trying to educate children, was to keep an eye on Xavier and his followers. At first, there were only two-Storm, the weather-controlling mutant he'd met on a trip to Africa, and Logan, the clawed, amnesic, Canadian who had some connection to Sabretooth-but then Xavier hit on an idea. Rather than finding adult mutants to help defend his hopeless ideal of mutant-human cooperation, he'd track down young mutants and teach them how to use their powers while also training them as soldiers for his cause. Magneto may have despised Charles' optimism but he knew a good idea when he saw one.   
  
Young mutants proved harder to find than adults. Teenagers are often scared and confused by their emerging powers. They usually do their best to hide their powers from others. Xavier had an advantage. He had Cerebro and the unmeasurable power of his mind to find mutants. Scott Summers and Jean Grey were soon living at Xavier's and going to Bayville. Magneto had to look harder and longer to find recruits. It was  
sheer coincidence that one already went to Bayville and Todd Tolansky was our first find. Rogue preceeded him but Irene had done her best to keep the girl from Magneto and it wasn't until Xavier's X-Men interfered that she joined the Brotherhood. She's gone now, fled to Xavier's over a minor incident. She always was flighty with all those pieces of other people in her head. Still, her defection was a major blow to my side. But not as much as the realization that my son was one of Xavier's recruits and that he was opposed to what I'd been fighting for all these years. Even if our side wins, my son will never love me. In fact, he'll probably hate me for what needs to be done. It was hard at first but I know my way is best and I can't give up now. Maybe someday he'll see I'm right.  
  
Xavier has us outnumbered now. Besides his two helpers, he has six children on his side whereas I only have the four boys and they're not a match for Xavier's. Toad is held here by fear and because he has nowhere else to go. He feels like he belongs for the first time but even here, he is still lowest on the totem pole. His powers are impressive but he doesn't have the discipline to learn how to use them properly. He's too arrogant. They all are. Overconfident because they've never had to face anyone with power before facing the X-Men. It's why they always lose. Lance is the worst although he's probably the most powerful. He has little respect for me although he fears me as much as the others do but he thinks his powers entitle him to ignore me when it suits him. He thinks he knows better than me. Pietro is only here because of the hate he has for Evan Daniels and the others for beating him and because of Magneto. He fears his father even as he craves his approval. Fred is here because he likes getting the chance to beat up on others and the creature comforts the Brotherhood gives him. I suspect if Xavier would let him beat up someone every so often, he'd defect too for the big-screen TV and more food available at Xavier's. The only consolation is that he's not bright enough to think of leaving.  
  
So this is what I've been reduced to. Glorified babysitter to a group of obnoxious brats, lap dog to Magneto who holds me in check by my fear and my need. My son and foster daughter are working for the enemy. Irene is increasingly distant. Something must break soon or I will. I am Mystique, mutant terrorist, avenger of the evil that humans do, strong, proud, unyielding. Magneto's hold over me won't last forever. Eventually I'll find a better way to help mutants and I'll leave Magneto behind. Until then, I'll bide my time and do the best I can. That's all anyone can do.   
  
I love you, Kurt.  
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End file.
